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{HeartTouchers.com} *Spreading Sunshine*
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If you enjoy this free email service, I encourage you to spread the word to family and friends that we may bring inspiration into the lives of many! If you are not on the list and this has been passed along to you, join the thousands of HeartTouchers.com readers around the world by sending a blank e-mail to:
HeartTouchers-subscribe@myinjesus.com
Visit our inspirational web site and read all the past stories in our archives at: http://www.HeartTouchers.com
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Be sure to check out our brand new inspirational list just for teenagers!
Heart4Teens.com
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This weekly list contains Heart-touching stories, quotes, links to uplifting web sites, and humor geared towards the teenage crowd. However, parents of teens, grandparents, college students, youth pastors, teachers, coaches, and anyone who just can't read enough inspirational stories will also benefit!
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Spreading Sunshine
Dear HeartTouchers.com members,
I would like to share a wonderful idea with all of you. An idea that can make a huge difference in the lives of a family that I have grown to love the past nine years -- The Beals Family. I have coached two of their daughters in basketball and had a third on our team as a manager. Mark and Donna Beals are the epitome of a loving couple who also love God and their family. But most of all they are known for their giving hearts.
However, this past November they found out that Mark has cancer. Take a moment to click on the link below and read a local newspaper article about what they are going through:
http://www.gazettextra.com/beals022303.asp
Below is an idea from a friend of their family and, other than praying for Mark and Donna Beals, I can't think of a better idea to bring a little sunshine into their lives. Please read the short message below and then commit to sending this family at least one greeting or homemade card.
HeartTouchers.com members are known for their big hearts and I would consider it a personal favor if you sent at least one card to this incredible family. With thousands of world-wide members on HeartTouchers.com, can you just imagine the difference you can make in their lives as they deal with this? Let's stuff their mailbox with hope and sunshine in the weeks and months to come!
From my family to yours,
Michael T. Powers
Founder and publisher of HeartTouchers.com and Heart4Teens.com P.S. Forward this to as many people as you can!
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From Kathi Woodman (woodalefarms@aol.com)
Something that has always stood out to me as a wonderful side of Mark is his sense of humor and his delight in greeting cards. I've often thought he should own a Hallmark store and figured they probably created a "card monster" of him when those design-your-own-card machines were invented. I even remember Mark and their kids making a wonderful poster-sized card for Donna one year (I think for Mother's Day) that had a wonderful story on it and different types of candy bars substituted for words in the story... things like "you're better than a hundred grand (candy bar applied here...you get the picture). Like many of you, I have wanted Mark & Donna to feel God's love for them, (and mine), especially during this difficult time, and I thought of a nonintrusive way to do it. I hope you will consider joining in this ministry to them.
I am asking each of you to consider picking a day on the calendar, like Tuesday, and circling it each week for the entire time they face this battle. On that day, each and every week, you can drop a card, a funny joke, an encouraging word, uplifting scripture, etc. to Mark & Donna. With your help by forwarding this idea to your circle of friends, hopefully this idea will spread to many folks far and wide and they will have a stuffed mailbox every day of the week. You could purchase your cards, make your own with the help of your kids (which I know Donna would take great pleasure in), or copy a funny story or joke on a piece of paper and send it. Whatever you can think of that would give them a laugh or lift their spirits would be appropriate. Surely one of the concerns they must both be having now (being as they are both self-employed) is finances and wouldn't it be a greater joy for them to have the mailbox full of cards as opposed to bills? Whether you know them well or not you can be comfortable sending them a card. And you won't have to stumble over words of what to say or how to say it. Let the gift of your gesture and the card convey your concern and love for them. It has been said that laughter is the best medicine and I know of people who have claimed victory over terminal illnesses using humor as part of their "treatment". Studies also show that people who are prayed for by a committed prayer team respond better to treatment and have better outcomes.
Please join me in this card ministry (along with continuing your ministry to them through prayer) and let's let them see God's OVERWHELMING love for them through us. Please begin as soon as you receive this e-mail. Their address is:
Mark & Donna Beals
705 High St.
Clinton, WI 53525
This should be pretty straightforward but if you have any questions or ideas on improving this, e-mail me at woodalefarms@aol.com. Thank you and God bless you and yours. And don't forget to forward this message! Kathi Woodman
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MICHAEL T. POWERS
www.HeartTouchers.com
"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." Galatians 2:20
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Would you like to see your story in HeartTouchers.com? Writer's guidelines can be found on our Web site here: http://www.HeartTouchers.com/guidelines/
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Do you feel as if life has no meaning for you? http://www.greatcom.org/english/four.htm
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Can't get enough inspirational stories in your life? Would you like to send a unique gift to your friends and family? Then order a copy of the inspirational book: Straight From the Heart "A Celebration of Life" by Michael T. Powers for only $13.95.
http://www.booklocker.com/bookpages/michaeltpowers01.html
You can preview this book by visiting:
http://www.HeartTouchers.com/michael_powers
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Reading Books, Changing Lives!
For those of you who love to read or love to give out books as gifts...
You can now order a number of different autographed best-selling inspirational books for the same price you would get them in the store, the shipping to you is paid for, and you are helping change the lives of teenagers and those they come in contact with! And best of all, every penny from the book sales are going to youth ministry to help pay for a life-changing winter retreat and a missions trip to Guatemala this summer!
If you love to read inspirational stories, these books are most likely those you will eventually buy anyway. And how cool would it be to be able to buy books like those in the Chicken Soup series for your friends and family with a personalized autographed message by one of the contributing authors! How's that for a unique gift! Not only are you changing lives through supporting a youth ministry, but every book included on our website has the power to make a difference in the lives of those you give the books to. Check out this link to find out more!
http://www.HeartTouchers.com/books
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